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Culture/period

Date

Production place

Materials

Ware

Technique

Dimensions

Height: 250 millimetres

Curator's comments

Published PDF date : Northern Song 11thC-12thCRoom 95 label text:

PDF 103

Bottle with carved lotuses and copper rim

This slim-necked bottle is carved with lotuses and lotus petals, both traditional Buddhist symbols of purity. The shape of the bottle also occurs in contemporary silverware. Archaeologists have discovered evidence which confirms Ding wares were used in Buddhist monasteries in the Northern Song (AD 960–1127) and Liao (AD 916–1125) dynasties to supplement gold and silver vessels for rituals. Dated sites which contain finds of Ding stonewares include several crypts of Buddhist pagodas – the Jingzhi temple靜志寺塔 (AD 977) and the treasury of the Jingzhong residential monastery 淨眾院塔 (AD 995) in Dingxian 定縣 and the Jingguang pagoda 淨光塔 (AD1013) in Shunyi county 順義縣 near Beijing 北京.